The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-12-03
A MOMENT TUO LATE.
NJ VIRGINIA DARE.

NJ VIRGINIA DARE. rs
Tho scene Of my tale opens In lit!lo
cabin in tho Allegheny mountains, in
West Virginia, tEsn:y.67e yesru ago. A
wolnsn vas saxlously bending over d slck
child teasing and muttsriug In the unrest
Of foyer. Every now and then tho word
father" orcapsd the child's lips.
"rhs child Erlevcu powerfully after her
father" s.id ons Of The neiphbors, who
hsd como to help the mother nurss the
| Ill child.
"That ahe docu," replied the poor moth.
or, with heavy Sigh. HE always Sc. T.
world OF store by her. 1t aln,oss broke
her litsls heart when no went to tho war,
and since she has baen SICK nhe has begged
for him the pititulles: you ever heard"
"Oan't he CONF 10 $50 herr" asked the
nsighbor.
NO." replied tho woman; "hls colonel
said he couldn't DO cpstod now. He had
8 tu1lou2h last GUNNER. II he hsd JUS!
had kno IN about this and xGi!ed. Seems
to me eLe might get well II che Just could
see her father, ald 1t wouldn't fail 60 hard
on Ine, ei,hsr, il he IVES here" i.,.
Several days wsnt by and little Sallic,
the dick child, grow worso. At length the
,notssr Wrots IN urgent letter 10 her hue.
band, out Of the agony Of her hesrt, i'm
plo'ipg him TO come home at MI costs ii
he wished 10 SEQ his little daughter alive
egsiu. Once more he asked for tulloush
and again he wGs retrted. An engsge.
ment wsa pending. The enemy's ioics
WIS greatly superior to ours md not man
could be spared.
John Ball WIS brave man; he had
pSovsd tbs. in many an encounter. Moth.
Ing could have tempted him to swerve
from hia duty rs q SOLDIER, except bic
frantic desire 10 SEQ Bis child once more
Under the pressure oil his feeling, no left
the cSmp againat osdesa, and fed to HE
rude cabin among the Allaphsnies Jus. il
time 10 eco little Ssllin'e face lgh. up once
moIo With q pleam Of joyful recognition,
and to receive her parting kiss. Todo !his
he had incurred the brand OF despair, ind
had taken his life in bls hands.
Scarcely vera the cbild's remains inter-
red than lie. without eating. to confer
bis sorrow.ttricksn 1ilo, etgrtea back to
camp. intending to throw himself on the
mercy OF his commander for execution Of
al olenss committed under 80 oYershelm.
iLg pressure, or ii tho worat ca,ne to
tho wo,et to moot bis late ike man.
But ney complication had arisen. Der
Ing tie f,w days he had beln absent the
men on either eide had changed tbsir posi.
slon like the figures on chUsa.board, and
'he enamy's troops had coma bstwcsn
hiG and his command. Ge had travelled
through q cold, dreuchiug rain,
slssp!rg 6. night in the fo.,.t to
lcgasH the risk Of falling into thu oneDy's
h1uds. He bsgsn to feol e.rsn.e
Etapor crceang over him n1d was
just nble to drag himaelt to tho house Of a
friendly couutryman, who took him in and
Kept him for the next few weeks, during
which tina he lay i'll Of pnaumonia. Just
90 he VAS beginning to couyalcscs, and DO.
fofs he had time to voluntarily give hin
aolf W; ,Eo waa arrested Cd .deeertsr.
His vito followed him to camp End
pleaded for him, telling the CAUSE OF his
daeettiun with all tho rude slcq-encs thas
strong emotioa could dictate, and taairg
all the blame on Lelsslt In vain he yso
sslsdsnd Condemned By e.s.y .ulo Of var
a. q te6eTtsr. The conforming ot:ipsy.
however, ms:ls this concteaiar ia thu ago.
n;sol TiIs-he would defer the execution
for three days, 6, Us 10 give har time to
impicre tho c!emercy OF the President.
sbich wsa zcT this cole nope for tho pris.
oaer's life,
llss Jssnic pesrs going to plsad beinre
Spr h. ave j., 81, -. l.
mountain woman went 10 the capital and
pleaded her huebapd's cause bsioIe tho
PRECEDENT. She had It in her power to
prove thst hs had shown himself brsya
soldier; that he had not LETT tbs camp
from cowArdice, or detection 10 the cause,
bu. tor his overwhelming love Tor his Gy.
Ing ch:ld and hia inteEss desire to SEQ her
once mora heioro ahe passed away. He
finally granted tho mans pardon cad
drew up psper to that effect, which hs
gave to messenger, directing him to teko
the ns1s trsin aud carry tho dispstch to
the prisoners commanding officer. He,
moreover, gave the woman q duplicate
paper, to pak0 he- huaband'e release the
mcle cartGin. g5.'r'4
5oysuliy abe started OF with the pracious
document that was to carry life and libar.
| ty to her beloved husband. Tho cara
seemed all too slow for hsr burning inpa-
tienca. Tbs tra'p WAS alSaye heavily
! loaded In thcss dsyo; there was 70 much
treveling 10 and fro, go much shifting Of
troopa IRAN one point to another. From
hard ard constant use during tho war the
railroads got into very bad order, 50 that
accidents aad de:entions we're quite fire..
ousnt ocluf.ercss, especially toward the
close oi the war. On this fateinl trip oco
Of thees ircquent accidents occurred dur.
ing the night. 1t was not O very disastrous
accident, but still 1t oCcssinned the deten.
zion OF the train until day before tho
necessary repairs could be made.
1t Heemed aaif the 'ltaid in their courses
fought" aysinnt the coudsmsed prisoner,
His wife wr1rg her hands with frantic i'm
pstiencs during the dsten.ion, but there
raa 10 hope Tor II. She had to endure 1t,
though eseh moment seemed to her an
hour. At length she wss speeding on her
way agein and in q few moro hourn she
reached her destina.ion. She and tins
messenger etsrtea togethes In wagon for
the camp; r.ei2x tho driver on to almost
frantic haste. 40 they neared tho camp
the eoupd 81 q volley Of guns made The
poor vito, 9hiver aud turn pale, They
,orehsd tbs camp. She could not ask a
question, bat The messenger req 1estcd
that they should BIO conducted to til. com.
mander's tent. Silently she handed him
the Prosdent'arapss.. He took it, read /.
with white feca :Id lips and ailently turn.
cd away from her. It was too late; the
terrible truth was borne to her without .
eh.lek sho fell irsersible on the ground
rende,ly tho brave bat stern men sropud
her Lifted her up and miniatered 10 hel
and tears stood In many q yetesan's eyef
oye, the no,row.e!ricken woman. g.
Tho commanding officer had doierret
the execution tI.res days, and even late
IN the afternoon oi the third day. Their
th!,teen men from another regiment thar
John Balls were chosen, and twelve O